"The Broncos look like they have a solid starting quarterback in Bo Nix and have arguably the NFL's best offensive line and best defense, led by star cornerback Pat Surtain II. What a turnaround for coach Sean Payton and general manager George Paton," wrote Ben Solak, who discussed Denver's reasons for hope.

That's now how Seth Walder of ESPN sees it. In an article discussing teams' future power rankings, analysts were asked to make a bold prediction for the future. Here was Walder's bold prediction for the Broncos:

After the 2025 NFL draft, the Broncos ranked No. 14 on ESPN 's NFL power rankings. Fast forward to mid-August, and the Broncos have climbed three spots to No. 11. ESPN Denver's Jeff Legwold wrote that head coach Sean Payton is under the most pressure entering the 2025 season, despite his stable standing with ownership.